I just played this game with a SB Audigy2 ZS, and there's NO info on this that I found, so hopefully it'll help folks with all manner of sound card...

The scenario:

You start your computer and have no sound. The sound card is properly installed on the motherboard, its drivers are installed in Windows XP, and the card shows up in Device Manager without an exclamation or red 'X' to indicate a problem. Worse, Device Manager reads "This device is working properly." when you open the driver's Properties page. So, it looks fine but doesn't make a peep, and any software you start that uses the sound card complains that no sound card is installed.

You check in Control Panel, specifically the "Sounds and Audio Devices" applet, and it reads "No Audio Device." However, it is there and is installed!

What's goin' on!?



Here's the answer that nobody seems to mention anywhere:

Turn on the Windows Audio service, which you'll likely find is disabled or set to manual for no apparent reason.

Here's the fix:

1. Right-click "My Computer" and click "Manage" to bring up the MMC.
2. In the LEFT pane, click the + to the left of the "Services and Applications" entry, to open the list.
3. Click "Services".
4. In the RIGHT pane, scroll down to the "Windows Audio" entry. Scroll right and you'll probably see it set to "Disabled", and that, boys and girls, is why your sound card no workie even though to spent X hours trying Y things and installing drivers Z times and got nowhere.
5. Right-click the "Windows Audio" and click "Properties" to bring up the service's property panel.
6. Change the "Startup type" setting to "Automatic", and OK your way back out.
7. Close the MMC and reboot the computer.
8. When you finish booting and log back in, head into the Control Panel's "Sounds and Audio Devices" applet, and poof, your sound card is showing now!


Amazingly enough, I found this little snippet of info in reference to DirectX sound issues, but it fixes the mysterious "it's installed and showing but I can't use it" problem. As near as I can tell, WinXP will disable the Audio service if it encounters weirdness like driver conflicts, but won't indicate it did so and makes no mention of it in the XP documentation or troubleshooting system.

Broadcast this tip far and wide, folks!

oO